We put thermal curtains in our living room last year, and honestly, they're pretty legit. I didn't track exact numbers on the heating bill, but the room definitely felt warmer and more comfortable. It's probably not a massive savings alone, but paired with other energy-saving stuff, it adds up. Plus, like you said, blocking out the streetlights is a nice perk—makes movie nights way better. I'd say they're worth trying out, especially if your windows are older or drafty.
Thermal curtains do help a bit, but honestly, I wonder how much of that warmth you're feeling is psychological. Like, you know they're supposed to help, so maybe the room just feels cozier? Not knocking them completely—blocking streetlights alone is worth it—but I still think upgrading windows or a smart thermostat might give you more noticeable savings long-term. Has anyone here actually compared their bills before and after installing new windows or a smart thermostat? Curious if the difference was as big as advertised...
I recently moved into an older house and had similar questions about energy savings. Haven't done the windows yet (still saving up for that...), but here's my experience so far with a smart thermostat:
- Installed a Nest thermostat about six months ago, mostly because the old thermostat was ancient and looked like it belonged in a museum.
- Initially skeptical about how much it would actually save, figured it was more about convenience and looking modern rather than real savings.
- First couple of months, didn't see a huge difference—maybe a few dollars here and there, nothing major. But I was still fiddling with settings and schedules.
- After I let it settle into a routine, the savings started to add up. Not massive, but noticeable enough—around 10-15% lower than my previous bills, depending on the month.
- Biggest difference seems to be the thermostat adjusting itself when I'm away or asleep. I used to just leave the heat or AC running at the same temp all day because it was too much hassle to remember to adjust manually.
- Also, it nudges me toward energy-saving temperatures by showing that little leaf icon. Sounds silly, but that psychological nudge actually helps me stick to more efficient settings.
Still curious how much windows would add to the equation, though. My windows are drafty as heck, and I bet that's losing me more money than I realize. I'd guess windows might give a bigger immediate boost, especially in older homes like mine where insulation isn't great to begin with.
Would love to hear from someone who's done both—but for now, the smart thermostat has been a solid first step toward saving a bit of cash each month.
Your experience with the thermostat mirrors mine pretty closely. I moved into an older place about two years ago, and the first thing I did was swap out the ancient thermostat for a smart one. Like you, I didn't see huge savings right away—honestly, at first I thought I'd wasted my money. But after a few months of tweaking and letting it learn my schedule, it started making a noticeable difference.
Then last winter, I finally bit the bullet and replaced some of my draftiest windows (not all of them yet, because...ouch, expensive). The difference was immediate. No more cold drafts sneaking in around the edges, and my heating bills dropped noticeably more than they had with just the thermostat alone. I'd say windows probably gave me a bigger bang for my buck overall—but they're also a much bigger upfront investment.
Still, don't underestimate those small psychological nudges from your thermostat. That little leaf icon has definitely guilted me into lowering the heat more times than I'd like to admit...
I had a similar experience, but I tackled it in reverse order—windows first, thermostat second. When I moved into my place, the drafts were so bad you could practically fly a kite indoors. Replacing the worst offenders made a huge difference right away, both comfort-wise and on my bills. But like you said, the upfront cost was pretty painful.
Then about a year later, I added a smart thermostat. Honestly, at first I wasn't convinced it was doing much beyond looking fancy on the wall. But after some tweaking and letting it learn my routine, I started noticing smaller but consistent savings. It's definitely more subtle than the windows were, but those little nudges (yep, that leaf icon gets me too...) add up over time.
Overall, I'd say windows probably have the bigger immediate impact if your place is older and drafty. But the thermostat is a solid long-term investment—especially if you're detail-oriented enough to keep adjusting settings and schedules to squeeze out every bit of efficiency. Either way, it's nice not feeling guilty every time the heat kicks on anymore...
